Why Cosmetic Surgery Can Be Complex When You’re Muslim

From a young age, most of us either experience directly or observe around us the societal value placed on beauty. As a Muslim woman, these notions of beauty and self-worth can become even more complex. A core concept within our religion is that of modesty, not just in terms of how we present ourselves but also in regard to our interactions with people, our manners and our humility about our own achievements.

Both Muslim men and women have physical requirements of modesty, such as covering certain body parts in public. The idea is generally not drawing *too* much attention to our beauty, thus letting our character define who we are to the world. Things like plastic surgery are thought to be haram (impermissible in Islam) unless for medical reasons such as disfigurement.